Febderick bentel



(No Model.)

P BENTEL HORSE HAY RAKE.

No. 353,397. Patented No.7. 30, 1886.

Attorney LE awe. 6m

Witnesses Wmwm X UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BENTEL, OF HAMILTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN \V. SOHN, OF SAMEPLACE.

HORSE HAY-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,397, dated November30, 1886.

Application filed November 30, 18 85. Serial No. 184,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK BENTEL, of Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse Hay-Rakes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to horse hay-rakes ofthe hand-dumping class; andthe improvements relate to various features of construc- IO tion, aswill be readily understood from the following description,tak en inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my improved rake; Fig. 2, aplan illustrating the mainportions of the same, Fig. 3, a perspective view of a portion of therake-head, exhibiting one of the tooth-holders; Fig. 4, atransversesection of the rake-head at one of the tooth-holders, and Fig. 5 adiagram illustrating the action of the toggles.

In the drawings, A indicates the rocking rake-head, the same consisting,as usual, of a piece of timber provided with stubaXles at each end forthe rakewheels; B, the usual shaft- 2 5 frame, hinged at its rear end tothe rake-head in the usual manner; 0, the axle of the rakewheels, uponwhich the rake-head rocks; D, the usual short arm projecting upwardlyand rearwardly from the rake-head, for the attach- 0 ment of thedumping-toggle; E, the usual pivot-bearing supported by the frame parts,for the attachment of the fixed end of the dumping-toggle; F, a pair ofconnected toggle-links reaching from the arm to the pivot support, andarranged, as usual, so that its intermediate pivot will pass a triflebelow the neutral line of action when the rake-head is in rakingposition; G, a foot-lever formed by an upward projection from theforward one of the links referred to, such foot-lever operating in theusual manner in dumping the rake; H, a foot-pad rising from theintermediate pivot of the toggle F, such pad serving in depressing thetoggle; J, a second pair of connected 5 toggle-links reaching from thearm to the pivot-support, and arranged to move downward at theirconnected ends when the toggle F rises in the act of dumping the rake,these toggle-links being of such length that their central pivot lies atrifle below the neutral (No model.)

line when the rakehcad is in raking position; K, a hand-lever attachedto the forward one of the links J 5 L, the usual rank of curvedrake-teethjormed of large spring wire; M, the tooth-holders, consistingof slotted arches, one 5 5 for each tooth, straddling the rake-head andsecured thereto by bolts through slots in the arches; N, an unslottedportion of each toothholder, engaged pivot'like by a hook at the upperend of the rake-tooth, this tooth-pivot being disposed at the rear uppercorner of the arch; 0, an unslotted portion at the front of the arch,the same being disposed over the portion of the tooth-wire which passesthrough the front of the arch; P, the rear upper sur- 6 face of asaddle, secured one within each arch to the top of the rakehead; Q, thefront upper surface of such saddle, and R a bow In that portion of thetooth between the hooked engagement and the point passing under the part0.

By means of the togglelinks F and the footlever G the driver may dumpthe rake by pressing forward upon the foot-lever, the 1nterinediatepivot of these links rising as the 7 rake dumps. \Vhen the rake is inraking position, the intermediate pivot of this toggle lies slightlybelow the neutral line, thereby forming a lock which prevents the rakingstrain upon the teeth from tipping the rakehead. When the rake isdumped, the teeth will descend of their own weight at least far enoughto bring the central pivot of the toggle referred to into the neutralline. The foot may then be placed upon the foot pad and 8 5 the togglepressed into the raking position. The foot-pad at the intermediate pivotor toggle has heretofore been used in rakes; but it has been adaptedonly to aid in the actual dumping operation-that is, the foot-pad hasbeen arranged in connection with a toggle whose intermediate pivot wasto be forced down by footpower in the act of dumping.

A toggle provided with a foot-lever and arranged to have itsintermediate pivot rise as the dumping takes place, and provided with afoot-pad upon the intermediate pivot to serve I in locking the toggle,isnew, so far as I know.

The foot of a weak driver is sometimes not sufficient to perform thedumping operation.

I therefore provide the second toggle system, J, having hand-lever K soarranged that the dumping is effected by a rearward pull of thehand-lever, the intermediate pivot of the toggle J descending as thedumping takes place. The locking system just referred to is notapplicable directly to a toggle system arranged in the latter manner;but by the combination of the two systems the first toggle furnishes thesecond toggle with the lock, the office of the foot operating-lever Grbeing simply to disengage the lock. The central pivot of the toggle Jnever rises beyond the neutral line, and consequently the toggle J,while always available for dumping purposes, is never in interferencewith the action of the toggle F when the rake is to be dumped by foot.

The combination of the two oppositely-acting toggles, one having alocking function,and the other not having a locking function, the twoarranged to act in the manner described, is entirely new, so far as I amadvised.

In some rakes of this class now under consideration the points of therake-teeth are incapable of any motion except-such as results from theirflexibility and from the dumping action. 'In other rakes of the sameclass the teeth are pivotally attached to the rake-head, so as to becapable of alimited oscillating mo tion, whereby the points of the teethmay individually retreat a few inches in passing obstructions, and thisWithout bringing any elastic strain upon the rake-teeth. This capacityof the teeth for a slight free oscillation is termed the drop of theteeth. Some rakes have their teeth arranged to have a drop ofunalterable degree, while in some other rakes the amount of the drop isadjustable.

My tooth-holding system presents a novel means for securing the teeth tothe rake head and for adjusting the amount of drop. Each tooth issecured to the rake-head by means of a slotted arch, M. These arches aresimply slotted strap-like castings which straddle the rake-head and arebolted thereto. The arches may be raised or lowered upon the rake-head,and may be secured. The tooth is hooked under the pivot N, and theweight of the tooth is supported by contact at the point P. The tooth iscapable of oscillating upon the pivot N, and the oscillating movement islimited by the contact at the point Q between the tooth and the saddleon which it rests. These saddles, by the way, are merely metal platessecured upon the top of the rake-head with the arches. They prevent thewearing and bruising of the top of the rake-head by the teeth, but arenot at all essential. The front portions of the arches serve to steadythe teeth sidewise and to hold them at right angles to the rake-head,and also serve to adjust the abutments O, beneath which the rake teethpass. The front and rear portions of the arch, instead of beingconnected or formed in one piece, as shown in Fig. 3, will perform theirfunctions if entirely separate, as will be understood from Fig. 4, inwhich I have shown the rear upper corner of the arch as being brokenaway, thus leaving the front and rear uprights in separate pieces.Convenience of adjustment and cheapness of construction have suggestedthat the arch be integrally formed. The dropping action of the teethwill be understood from Fig. 4, inwhich the normal position of the upperportion of the teeth is indicated in full lines, while the dotted linesshow the position taken under the action of the drop. If the bolt whichholds these arches be loosened and the arch pressed downward, it isobvious that theteeth can be put into the position indicated by thedotted lines-a posi tion corresponding with the exhaustion of thedropping movement. amount of the drop may be adjusted from zero to themaximum. It is obvious that the arch may be bolted to the rake-head inan inadjustable manner by omitting the slots which engage thesecuring-bolt. This would deprive the rake ofits quality of having itsdrop adjustable;but the tooth-holders would otherwise perform their fullfunctions.

It is obvious that the more the hook at the top of the tooth isdepressed the greater the pressure holding the tooth in normal rakingposition. This depression can be adjusted to suit the preference of theuser. The tooth may play with no pressure or with light pressure; or itmay be deprived entirely of its play or drop and put under greater orless pressure. Depressing the arch increases the tension of bow-springR, which serves as aspring in holding the tooth to its work. When thearch is so far depressed that the hook makes con tact with that portionof the tooth just below thehook,then the spring function falls entirelyupon the balance of the tooths length. The bow thus serves the purposeof an added spring. The arch may be adjusted so low down as to cause thehook to make contact with that portion of the tooth just below the hook,and at the same time bring the abutment 0 down tight upon the forwardlower portion of the bow, thus practically suppressing the springfunction of the bow entirely.

I claim as my invention 1. A rocking rake-head with its rank of teeth, ashaft-frame articulated thereto, a pivotsupport secured to theshaft-frame, an arm secured to the rake-head, a pair of connected.toggle-links reaching from said arm to said pivot-support and arrangedto have their connecting central pivot occupy a position below theneutral line when the rake-head is in raking position, a foot-leverattached to the forward one of said links, and adapted, when pushed in adirection away from the rakehead, to elevate the toggle-center, and afootpad pivoted to the intermediate pivot of the toggle, combinedvsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A rocking rake-head with its rank of teeth, an arm projectingtherefrom, a shaftframe articulated to the rake-head, a pivotsupportupon the shaft-frame, a pair of tog- It follows that the gle'linksreaching from said arm to said pivotsupport, and arranged to have theirintermediate pivot descend when the rake is dumped and to occupy aposition below the neutral line when the rake-head is in normalposition, a hand-lever connected with the forward link of said toggle,and adapted, when pulled in a direction toward the rake-head,to depresssaid toggle and dump the rake, a second pair of toggle-links engagingsaid arm and pivot-support, and adapted to have their intermediate pivotrise as the rake is dumped and to occupy a position below the neutralline when the rake-head is in normal position, and thus form a lock toprevent the rising of theintermediate pivot when the rake is at work,and a foot-lever connected with the forward one of said lastmentionedtoggle-links, and adapted, when pressed in a direction forward from therake-head, to elevate said last-mentioned toggle and dump the rake,combined substa11- tially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A rake-head, an arch piece for each rake tooth,secured to therake-head and carrying a tooth-pivot above the rake-head, a rake-toothhooking under said tooth-pivot and projecting forwardly in bow form, andthen rearwardly under the hooked portion and over the rake-head, and acontactsupport on therakehead for the bow forward of said tootlrpivot,combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A rakehead, a tooth-pivot secured over the front thereof by means ofabolt engaging a slot, and a rake-tooth hooked into engagement with suchpivot and passing forwardly in bow form, and then rearwardly under thehooked portion and over the rake-head, COIllbi ned substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

5. A rake-head, a slotted arch-piece straddling the rake-head and boltedthereto, and carrying a tooth-pivot, and a tooth hooked to said pivotand projecting forwardly in bow form out through said arch, and theninto the arch again over a contactsupport on the rakehead in advance ofthe tooth-pivot, and rearwardly out under the hooked portion and overthe rake-head, combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FREDERICK BENTEL.

" Witnesses:

J. W. SEE,

W. A. SEWARD.

